Work begins Monday on a dangerous stretch of Hollywood Boulevard, according to L.A. City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez’s office.
The long-awaited project plans to slow speeding drivers, protect bikers, boost public transit access, with the goal of improving safety as people travel along the popular corridor between Gower Street and Lyman Place.
“This corridor is a dangerous one. Between 2010 and 2019 there were 53 severe injury and fatal collisions in just this project area,” said Max Podemski, a Los Angeles Department of Transportation planner, during a town hall meeting about the project earlier this year.
What you should expect
The project will add a few minutes to your drive through the area once it is completed — depending on the time of day and direction of travel — LADOT said. One lane will be removed from each side of the street to make way for a dedicated bike lane. Crews will also add a median center lane for turning only.
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Parking will also be changed along the entire project area as crews make space for the bike lane. LADOT will add more than double the amount of available space for pedestrians and bicyclists. That means one to two parking spaces per block between Van Ness Avenue to Lyman Place will need to be removed on each side of the street. In addition, all on-existing street parking will be removed between Van Ness Avenue and Gower Street.
Why now?
City officials said the new safety changes will address speeding problems and curb the rise in traffic deaths near Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards.
Traffic deaths in Los Angeles reached all time highs again in 2023. In all, 336 died in crashes, and about half were pedestrians.
Soto-Martinez told LAist that the project will also make accessing the Metro B (Red) line easier while boosting business for the neighborhood.
"This project is about making it safer and easier for people to get around. After the improvements coming this summer, Hollywood will be more welcoming for businesses, residents and tourists alike," Soto-Martinez said.
What’s next
The Hollywood Blvd Safety and Mobility Project is part of a larger effort to connect Los Angeles through all modes of travel. A similar facelift is in the works for Los Feliz and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Construction on Hollywood Boulevard should be completed by August 18, according to LADOT. The next step will be to connect the new bike lane to an existing route on sunset. Once that's completed, public works will start to makeover the complicated 6-way intersection where Hollywood Boulevard meets Sunset Boulevard.
